Dry winter points way to summer drought for Europe

The drought that threatens much of western and southern Europe this summer is already creating problems in France, Spain and the UK, and will grow more serious if meteorologists are right in their predictions.

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Electricity generation could become problematic if the drought persists, as nuclear power stations, which provide three quarters of French electricity, need to be able to take large amounts of water from rivers. If water is scarce or too warm, the power plants can face shutdown.